Carsten Nico Hjortsø

Enhancing public participation in natural resource management using Soft OR--an application of strategic option development and analysis in tactical forest planning

Abstract This article presents a case study where a modified version of strategic option development and analysis (SODA) is applied to enhance the level of citizens’ participation in a strategic forest management planning process managed by the Danish Forest and Nature Agency. The case is interesting because of structural differences between traditional Soft OR and public participation settings. Research shows that SODA can nevertheless improve public involvement in several ways, including stakeholders’ perception of being involved, stakeholders’ commitment, structuring of the planning context, communication of stakeholder perspectives, identification and management of conflicts, decision process transparency, and agency accountability for final planning outcomes. The primary problems encountered relate to the difficulty of reading the cognitive maps, time requirements, and selection of facilitator. The general impression is that SODA can improve the present practice, and moreover provide a feasible platform for wider integration of stakeholder groups in the tactical planning process.

Strategic multiple-use forest planning in Lithuania — applying multi-criteria decision-making and scenario analysis for decision support in an economy in transition

Abstract While many Western European countries mourn the loss of their natural forest ecosystems, a country such as Lithuania enjoys large areas of forests with natural characteristics. Paradoxically, the long rotation ages used in traditional Lithuanian forestry, which are prerequisites for the many appreciated environmental values of the forests, have been questioned from the utilitarian market-economy criterion of maximising net present value. In order to evaluate such beliefs, this study presents a methodology that incorporates environmental values into the strategic forest-management planning process, using the Dubrava Forest in Central Lithuania as a case area. Simulation, scenario analysis, optimisation and multi-criteria decision-making techniques are used in strategic analysis of different management rationalities. The case study is based on recent (1998) management prescriptions, sales prices, labour costs and an interest rate of 2%. The study analyses the effects on the environmental values if the traditional management approach is changed into management based on optimisation of net present value. It is concluded that traditional Lithuanian forest-management supports recreational and ecological functions at a significantly higher level than would forests managed after economic optimisation alone. The methodology used in the study proves a promising tool for policy analysis, providing decision-makers with a flexible platform for evaluation of different multiple-use management approaches. If the importance of the multiple use of Lithuanian forests is not continuously recognised in forest management, there is a risk that the forests will lose many of the recreational and near-natural ecosystem characteristics, which are rarely found in Western Europe.

Price satisfaction and producer loyalty: The role of mediators in business to business relationships in Kenyan mango supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate which dimensions of price satisfaction influence producers’ trust in buyers and assess the mediating role of such trust in the relationship between price satisfaction and producer loyalty in fresh fruit supply chains. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study design using both semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires was used. The study was conducted in the Eastern part of Kenya and included 600 smallholders. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings – The results show that price fairness, price reliability, and relative price are dimensions of price satisfaction that affect producers’ trust in the buyer. Moreover, trust between the producer and the buyer is found to be a strong mediator between price satisfaction and producer loyalty. The findings support recent studies about trust and its mediating role. Research limitations/implications – The paper is based on a cross-sectional study design, limitin...

An explorative study of the practice of light trapping and the informal market for crickets in Cambodia

Edible insects are an integrated part of the food sector in many South-East Asian countries. While the majority of studies focus on Thailand and its cricket farming sector, neighbouring countries like Cambodia and Laos also form a regional market for edible insects. The aim of this research was to describe the informal food sector for wild caught crickets in Cambodia. The information was collected in April-May 2012. Information on collection equipment and techniques, processing and trade were obtained from light trap owners, traders, market vendors and governmental representatives. Five cricket species were identified to be the main trade object. Cricket trapping contributed to livelihoods of rural households operating in a self-governing market. As the crickets are caught from the wild, the sustainability of the market has to be questioned. The use of a framework to structure future studies on edible insects in South-East Asia is discussed. Insect trapping and trading is not institutionally anchored as e...